10-6-09: JADE SCREEN LEGACY

Some thoughts on the passing of Shek Kin.

Han: We are all ready to win, just as we are born knowing only life. It is defeat that you must learn to prepare for.

Williams: Don't waste my time with it. When it comes, I won't even notice.

Han: Oh? How so?

Williams: I'll be too busy looking gooood.

dialogue scene between Shek Kin and Jim Kelly in Enter The Dragon

When I was first a young and passionate kung fu fan, the face of good was Kwai Chang Caine of the TV series 'Kung Fu', as embodied by David Carradine, and that of evil was Mr Han, the villain of Bruce Lee's 'Enter The Dragon', as incarnated by Shek Kin. There's a sweet, sad irony in the fact that both these great men passed away within hours of each other.

Though I barely knew Shek Kin, I am in awe of the contribution he made to my favourite artforms; Chinese kung fu and Asian action cinema.

Shek was born in Hong Kong in 1913, and, as a youngster, studied Northern style kung fu. In 1939, he entered the film industry as a make up man. However, his distinctive, angular features, and the fact that he could fight, drew the attention of directors Wu Chun-bing and Sam Mak, who cast him in a supporting role in 'Flower in a Sea of Blood'. It was the start of a career with a longevity extraordinary even by the standards of Hong Kong cinema.

When I first relocated to Hong Kong, I stayed up late at night to record the black-and-white Wong Fei-hung films that played on TV. (I mean, who could work the timer on a video recorder? Not me...) In virtually every film, Shek played the villain opposite Kwan Tak-hing's heroic Wong, so the finale of each film was virtually identical: a duel between these two kung fu icons. It seemed Hong Kong audiences never tired of this ongoing battle between the same hero and the same villain!

Usually, these films played as a 'double bill' of black-and-white classics, and I soon noticed that, whereas Kwan Tak-hing was only in the Wong Fei-hung film, Shek was usually in the other movie as well! It didn't matter whether it was a fantasy actioner, a family melodrama, a 'Jane Bond' actioner with a female star; there was Shek Kin. His range seemed limitless. (I always thought that, if 'Star Trek' had been made in Hong Kong, Shek would have been a great Vulcan...)

After an impassioned last stand in 'Wong Fei-hung: Bravely Crushing The Fire Formation', Shek made an easier transition to colour cinema than Kwan Tak-hing did. Kwan was forever typecast as Wong Fei-hung; Shek Kin had always played a myriad of roles.

Though he would act in dozens of films opposite the greatest names in the industry, Shek will always be best known around the world as 'Mr Han Man' from 'Enter The Dragon'. Despite his advancing years, Shek created a formidable nemesis for Bruce Lee, with his disarmingly avuncular brand of villainy and his multi-purpose fake hand (lampooned so brilliantly in 'Kentucky Fried Movie'). What's truly remarkable is that, though the film is in English, Shek did not speak the language, and yet has more lines that anyone else in the picture! He learned all his speeches phonetically and, on set, often had production manager Madalena Chan reading him his dialogue off-camera, which he would then repeat back to her. (His lines were later looped by the great Keye Luke, Master Po from 'Kung Fu'.)

After Bruce Lee's passing, the clown dragon Jackie Chan rose to replace him as king of kung fu cinema, and, in his trial by fire, duelled a still game Shek Kin in Chan's first film at Golden Harvest, 'The Young Master'. Shek impresses in that film, but his greatest late life martial arts performance is opposite Jackie's friend Mars in the wonderfully titled, and sadly little seen, 'Lackey and the Lady Tiger'.

In his silver age, the veteran developed a hitherto unseen flare for comedy (check him out in 'The Private Eyes', 'Millionaire's Express' and 'Magic Crystal'), and continued to impress in a series of dramatic roles. His last great film role was opposite Chow Yun-fat in Tsui Hark's 'A Better Tomorrow 3'. Shek also worked on Hong Kong television, even playing his former nemesis, Wong Fei-hung, in one series.

After a chronic leg condition impeded his mobility, Shek Kin bid a graceful farewell to the screen. His wife having pre-deceased him by many years, Shek moved into an apartment in Prince Edward, from which he emerged only rarely into the public eye. 

I had always wanted to meet Shek to talk to him about both Bruce and the Wong Fei-hung films, but the word was that he was a virtual recluse. At one point, I was developing a Bruce Lee documentary for Media Asia. I asked long-time Lee fan Donnie Yen to direct, and we got as far as location scouting (down at docks of Han's island) and discussing people we wanted to interview. I mentioned the problems associated with seeing Shek. "Well, my mom (Master Bow Sim-mark') knows him...," observed Yen. As I recollect, the aforementioned Madalena Chan helped make the connection, and Shek Kin agreed to see Donnie (with me in tow!).

When we visited, it was very apparent that there was nothing wrong with 'Uncle' Shek's mind. Despite the advancing years, he was lucid, loquacious and happy to see us. However, he refused point blank to consent to be interviewed on camera, saying that he preferred his fans to remember him in his younger, more agile days. (He did later film an interview for the Film Archive, but that was a special case!). After a pleasant afternoon, we bid a warm farewell, and there were the usual unkept promises about doing it again some time... I wish we had, as this sweet, deeply Christian man had a lot to share.

(Just for the record, our proposed Bruce Lee documentary fell foul of a regime change at Media Asia, and was never made.)

I did run in to Shek Kin again at the Hong Kong Film Awards, which was (I think) his last major public appearance.

He passed away last week at Queen Elizabeth hospital, the same one a dying Bruce Lee was admitted to all those years ago.

With Shek gone, an age closes, as none of the early principals of the Wong Fei-hung films are still with us. 

On screen, though, he remains immortal, captured in jade and silver for an endless shining midnight show...